Data source: Canadian Grain Commission (data assembled by Glenn Cheater)

The Big Surge: Elevator capacity soaring across the Prairies

The growth in the last four years has been phenomenal

Reading Time: 5 minutes The business of building grain elevators is — pardon the pun — on a runaway train. The growth has been, by any measure, phenomenal. In just the last four years, elevator companies have added 1.2 million tonnes of storage — a 16 per cent jump. And that expansion train isn’t slowing down. Late last month, […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Shortages leading to price increases

MarketsFarm — Prices for feed grains are swinging higher because of shortages, according to Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities Ltd. in Lethbridge. “One thing we are sure of is we are running out of inventory, barley for sure, and we’re 11 months away from new crop,” he said. This year’s severe drought and excessive heat […] Read more

Wheat being loaded onto a cargo ship in Vancouver in 2011. (File photo: Reuters/Ben Nelms)

Exports tumble as supplies simply not there

'There's very little to sell'

MarketsFarm — Cereal and oilseed exports out of Canada nosedived in August just as the 2021-22 marketing began, according to the monthly export report from the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). At about 2.24 million tonnes, total grain exports were down 38.5 per cent overall compared to those in August 2020. “There’s very little to sell. […] Read more


A ‘challenging year’ for seed supply

A ‘challenging year’ for seed supply

Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s not a guarantee of getting your seed order filled but one company says it will do the legwork in trying to find scarce seed for its customers. Canterra Seeds says its online ordering system will have a “secure supply” option that will direct an order to the nearest suppliers. “The goal is to match […] Read more

Surprisingly good harvest quality being reported

Surprisingly good harvest quality being reported

Reading Time: < 1 minute The latest provincial crop report was repetitive — but in a good way. The report (conditions as of Sept. 21) used the same phrase for all five regions in the province: “Quality is very good despite the difficult growing season.” It says spring wheat falling into the top two grades ranged from 89 per cent […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market continues consolidation

U.S. corn northbound into Prairies

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calf markets were down $2-$3 on average. Feedlot inventories in Alberta and Saskatchewan are 30 per cent above the five-year average; therefore, demand is lacking moving into the main marketing period for calves. Finishing feedlots have sufficient ownership and being fairly finicky on […] Read more

Being able to have Alberta-grown yellow peas processed at the Lovingly Made Ingredients facility in Calgary is a big plus — and better yet, president Chris Shields says his company will be offering “attractive contracts” for growing a new high-protein variety developed by cutting-edge Israeli plant breeder Equinom.

THE PAYOFF: Plant protein revolution may soon put money in your pockets

Calgary division of British faux meat company to issue first contracts for new high-protein pea next year

Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s being hailed as a game changer — a new high-protein yellow pea variety tailor-made for the booming plant protein market. And producers in Alberta won’t have long to wait before they can get their hands on both the new variety and, possibly, premium prices. “I think it’s fantastic news to hear that there’s investment […] Read more



(OceanFishing/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. spring wheat crop down sharply in 2021

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat production in the United States was down sharply in 2021, according to the latest annual small grains report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Total spring wheat production was pegged at 9.01 million tonnes by the government agency, down 44 per cent from the 15.99 million tonnes grown the previous year. […] Read more